Iranian leaders taunt ‘US Epstein class’ during war
Senior Iranian officials have repeatedly invoked the convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein to attack Washington’s political elite during the ongoing Israeli-US war on the country.
Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, accused figures linked to Epstein’s network of plotting to provoke a global crisis and blame Tehran.
Posting on X, Larijani said: “I’ve heard that the remaining members of Epstein’s network have devised a conspiracy to create an incident similar to 9/11 and blame Iran for it.
"Iran fundamentally opposes such terrorist schemes and has no war with the American people. We are defending our country against an aggression launched by the US and Israel. Iran stands tall in doing so in order to teach the aggressors a lesson,” he added.
The comments are part of a wider campaign by Iranian leaders to portray the US political class as morally engaged in an illegal war and compromised while positioning Iran as resisting aggression by Washington and Israel.
Larijani also mocked remarks from US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, who had suggested Iranian leaders were hiding like "rats" during the war.
Iranian officials had appeared publicly at Tehran’s annual al-Quds Day rally on Friday, where crowds marched in support of Palestinians.
“Mr. Hegseth! Our leaders have been, and still are, among the people. But your leaders? On Epstein’s island!” Larijani wrote on X.
Iran’s foreign ministry echoed the rhetoric earlier the same day, describing US and Israeli strikes on Iran as an assault by the “Epstein gang”.
'Operation Epstein Fury'
The messaging has gained traction in Iran’s political discourse as vast files documenting Epstein’s connections to powerful figures in the United States continue to circulate around the world.
Epstein, a financier with ties to Israel and the Mossad, abused and trafficked hundreds of young women and girls, maintained ties with wealthy and influential individuals across politics and business before his death in prison in 2019.
Iranian officials have repeatedly used the scandal to attack Washington’s leadership and undermine its moral authority during the conflict.
Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf joined the condemnation after US President Donald Trump suggested he wanted influence over the selection of Iran’s next supreme leader following the US killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei earlier in the war.
“The fate of dear Iran … will be determined solely by the proud Iranian nation, not by Epstein’s gang,” Ghalibaf wrote on X.
The rhetoric has also spread widely online. Some social media users have speculated that the US military campaign, officially named “Operation Epic Fury”, serves as a political distraction from domestic controversies surrounding Epstein’s network. Online the war has been dubbed "Operation Epstein Fury".
Right-wing commentator Candace Owens amplified the discourse hours after the war began on 28 February. She reshared a post featuring an AI-generated image of Trump standing between Israeli flags and suggested Washington was attacking Iran on Israel’s behalf.
Owens added the caption: “Operation Epstein Fury fully explained.”